Abbaye de Fontenay

The Abbey of Fontenay was founded by Saint Bernard in 1118. It is one of the oldest Cistercian abbeys in Europe. The Romanesque architecture offers a remarkable unity to all buildings remained intact since the Middle Ages. The Abbey was transformed into a paper mill after the French Revolution by the family Montgolfier and was bought back in 1906 by Edouard Aynard, the ancestor of the present owners who continue on safeguarding this masterpiece of Romanesque art. The old Abbey of Fontenay (12th century) was one of the first monuments to be inscribed on the Unesco world heritage list. This classification has distinguished the exceptional value of Fontenay and its environment.

Hours

Open every day of the year From 1 April 2023 to 12 November 2024: from 10 am to 6 pm, open to the public and also on regular guided tours (without reservation). From 13 November 2023 to 31 March 2024: from 10am to 12pm and from 2pm to 5pm for self-guided tours (without reservation) or for private guided tours (by reservation only).

Services